BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuSeptic arthritisBacterial arthritis; Non-gonococcal bacterial arthritisSeptic arthritis is inflammation of a joint due to a bacterial or fungal infection. Septic arthritis that is due to the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, has different symptoms and is called gonococcal arthritis.Inflammation of a jointJoint swelling is the buildup of fluid in the soft tissue surrounding the joint or the joint itself.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article GonorrheaGonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI).Read Article Now Book Mark Article Gonococcal arthritisGonococcal arthritis is inflammation of a joint due to a gonorrhea infection. Gonococcal arthritis is a type of septic arthritis. This is inflammati...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Septic arthritis develops when bacteria or other tiny disease-causing organisms (microorganisms) spread through the blood to a joint. It may also occur when the joint is directly infected with a microorganism from an injury or during surgery. Joints that are commonly affected are the knee and hip.Most cases of acute septic arthritis are caused by staphylococcus or streptococcus bacteria.AcuteAcute means sudden. Acute symptoms appear, change, or worsen rapidly. It is the opposite of chronic.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic septic arthritis (which is less common) is caused by organisms including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans.The following conditions increase your risk for septic arthritis:Artificial joint implants Bacterial infection somewhere else in your body Presence of bacteria in your blood Chronic illness or disease (such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and sickle cell disease) ChronicChronic refers to something that continues over an extended period of time. A chronic condition is usually long-lasting and does not easily or quick...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Rheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. It is a long-term disease. It can also aff...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Sickle cell diseaseSickle cell disease is a disorder passed down through families. The red blood cells that are normally shaped like a disk take on a sickle or crescen...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Intravenous (IV) or injection drug use Medicines that suppress your immune system Recent joint injury Recent joint arthroscopy or other joint surgery Septic arthritis may be seen at any age. In children, it occurs most often in those younger than 3 years. The hip is often the site of infection in infants. Most cases are caused by the bacteria group B streptococcus. Another common cause is Haemophilus influenza, especially if the child has not been vaccinated for this bacterium. Symptoms Symptoms usually come on quickly. There is a fever and joint swelling that is usually in just one joint. There is also intense joint pain, which gets worse with movement.Joint swellingJoint swelling is the buildup of fluid in the soft tissue surrounding the joint or the joint itself.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms in newborns or infants:Crying when infected joint is moved (for example, during diaper changes) Fever Not able to move the limb with the infected joint (pseudoparalysis) Fussiness Symptoms in children and adults:Not able to move the limb with the infected joint (pseudoparalysis) Severe joint pain Joint swelling Joint redness Fever Chills may occur, but are uncommon. Exams and Tests Your health care provider will examine the joint and ask about the symptoms.Tests that may be done include:Aspiration of joint fluid for cell count, examination of crystals under the microscope, Gram stain, and culture Aspiration of joint fluidSynovial fluid analysis is a group of tests that examine joint (synovial) fluid. The tests help diagnose and treat joint-related problems.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CultureJoint fluid culture is a laboratory test to detect infection-causing germs in a sample of fluid surrounding a joint.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blood culture Blood cultureA blood culture is a laboratory test to check for bacteria or other germs in a blood sample.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article X-ray of affected joint X-ray of affected jointThis test is an x-ray of a knee, shoulder, hip, wrist, ankle, or other joint.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blood work including complete blood count (CBC)Complete blood countA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Antibiotics are used to treat the infection.Resting, raising the joint above heart level, and using cool compresses may help relieve pain. After the joint starts to heal, exercising it can help speed up recovery.If joint (synovial) fluid builds up quickly due to the infection, a needle may be inserted into the joint to withdraw (aspirate) the fluid. Severe cases may need surgery to drain the infected joint fluid and irrigate (wash) the joint.AspirateAspiration means to draw in or out using a sucking motion. It has two meanings:Breathing in a foreign object (for example, sucking food into the air...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) Recovery is good with prompt antibiotic treatment. If treatment is delayed, permanent joint damage may result. When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact for an appointment with your provider if you develop symptoms of septic arthritis. Prevention Preventive (prophylactic) antibiotics may be helpful for people at high risk.Open ReferencesReferencesCook PP, Siraj DS. Bacterial arthritis. In: Firestein GS, Budd RC, Gabriel SE, Koretzky GA, McInnes IB, O'Dell JR, eds. Firestein & Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 116.Robinette E, Shah SS. Septic arthritis. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 705.AllVideoImagesTogBacteria - illustration Bacterial infections can lead to the formation of pus, or to the spread of the bacteria in the blood.BacteriaillustrationBacteria - illustration Bacterial infections can lead to the formation of pus, or to the spread of the bacteria in the blood.BacteriaillustrationRelated Information Joint pain(Symptoms)Joint swelling(Symptoms)Chronic(Special Topic)Rheumatoid arthritis(Condition)Gonococcal arthritis(Condition)Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn(Condition)Flu(Condition)Acute(Special Topic)Pulmonary tuberculosis(Condition)Rheumatoid arthritis - InDepth(In-Depth)Colds and the flu - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 5/19/2023 Reviewed By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Septic arthritisBacterial arthritis; Non-gonococcal bacterial arthritisSeptic arthritis is inflammation of a joint due to a bacterial or fungal infection. Septic arthritis that is due to the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, has different symptoms and is called gonococcal arthritis.Inflammation of a jointJoint swelling is the buildup of fluid in the soft tissue surrounding the joint or the joint itself.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article GonorrheaGonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI).Read Article Now Book Mark Article Gonococcal arthritisGonococcal arthritis is inflammation of a joint due to a gonorrhea infection. Gonococcal arthritis is a type of septic arthritis. This is inflammati...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Septic arthritis develops when bacteria or other tiny disease-causing organisms (microorganisms) spread through the blood to a joint. It may also occur when the joint is directly infected with a microorganism from an injury or during surgery. Joints that are commonly affected are the knee and hip.Most cases of acute septic arthritis are caused by staphylococcus or streptococcus bacteria.AcuteAcute means sudden. Acute symptoms appear, change, or worsen rapidly. It is the opposite of chronic.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic septic arthritis (which is less common) is caused by organisms including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans.The following conditions increase your risk for septic arthritis:Artificial joint implants Bacterial infection somewhere else in your body Presence of bacteria in your blood Chronic illness or disease (such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and sickle cell disease) ChronicChronic refers to something that continues over an extended period of time. A chronic condition is usually long-lasting and does not easily or quick...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Rheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. It is a long-term disease. It can also aff...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Sickle cell diseaseSickle cell disease is a disorder passed down through families. The red blood cells that are normally shaped like a disk take on a sickle or crescen...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Intravenous (IV) or injection drug use Medicines that suppress your immune system Recent joint injury Recent joint arthroscopy or other joint surgery Septic arthritis may be seen at any age. In children, it occurs most often in those younger than 3 years. The hip is often the site of infection in infants. Most cases are caused by the bacteria group B streptococcus. Another common cause is Haemophilus influenza, especially if the child has not been vaccinated for this bacterium. Symptoms Symptoms usually come on quickly. There is a fever and joint swelling that is usually in just one joint. There is also intense joint pain, which gets worse with movement.Joint swellingJoint swelling is the buildup of fluid in the soft tissue surrounding the joint or the joint itself.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms in newborns or infants:Crying when infected joint is moved (for example, during diaper changes) Fever Not able to move the limb with the infected joint (pseudoparalysis) Fussiness Symptoms in children and adults:Not able to move the limb with the infected joint (pseudoparalysis) Severe joint pain Joint swelling Joint redness Fever Chills may occur, but are uncommon. Exams and Tests Your health care provider will examine the joint and ask about the symptoms.Tests that may be done include:Aspiration of joint fluid for cell count, examination of crystals under the microscope, Gram stain, and culture Aspiration of joint fluidSynovial fluid analysis is a group of tests that examine joint (synovial) fluid. The tests help diagnose and treat joint-related problems.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CultureJoint fluid culture is a laboratory test to detect infection-causing germs in a sample of fluid surrounding a joint.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blood culture Blood cultureA blood culture is a laboratory test to check for bacteria or other germs in a blood sample.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article X-ray of affected joint X-ray of affected jointThis test is an x-ray of a knee, shoulder, hip, wrist, ankle, or other joint.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blood work including complete blood count (CBC)Complete blood countA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Antibiotics are used to treat the infection.Resting, raising the joint above heart level, and using cool compresses may help relieve pain. After the joint starts to heal, exercising it can help speed up recovery.If joint (synovial) fluid builds up quickly due to the infection, a needle may be inserted into the joint to withdraw (aspirate) the fluid. Severe cases may need surgery to drain the infected joint fluid and irrigate (wash) the joint.AspirateAspiration means to draw in or out using a sucking motion. It has two meanings:Breathing in a foreign object (for example, sucking food into the air...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) Recovery is good with prompt antibiotic treatment. If treatment is delayed, permanent joint damage may result. When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact for an appointment with your provider if you develop symptoms of septic arthritis. Prevention Preventive (prophylactic) antibiotics may be helpful for people at high risk.Open ReferencesReferencesCook PP, Siraj DS. Bacterial arthritis. In: Firestein GS, Budd RC, Gabriel SE, Koretzky GA, McInnes IB, O'Dell JR, eds. Firestein & Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 116.Robinette E, Shah SS. Septic arthritis. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 705.